Denison Leads NCAC Schools In Learfield Standings

Denison University currently sits in a tie for 24th to lead all North Coast Athletic Conference member institutions in the 2015-16 Division III Learfield Directors' Cup winter standings.

The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 18 sports -- nine women’s and nine men's.

The Denison Big Red climbed into the top-25 in 24th-place with 331.50 points after picking up 281.50 points in the winter season, based on NCAA postseason competition, led by the men's swimming & diving team winning their third national title this winter and the women finishing fourth overall at the swimming & diving championships. DU also collected points in the winter season from both basketball teams, as well as from a pair of women's indoor track & field student-athletes. On the track, senior Aedin Brennan (Fairport, NY/Allendale Columbia) finished second in the nation in the pentathlon, while freshman Ajai Brooks (Washington, D.C./Washington Latin Public Charter) placed seventh in the 200-meter dash.

Wabash, which led all NCAC teams in the fall update in 32nd, jumped into the top-30 following the winter season in 29th-place with 287.50 points. Senior Zechariah Banks (Carmel, IN/Carmel) racked up 43.5 points for the Little Giants in the pool this winter after finishing fifth in the nation at the national meet in both the 100- and 200-breaststroke events, while senior Matthew Dickerson Jr. (Greenfield, IN/Central) collected 23.5 points on the track this winter after placing fifth in the nation in the heptathlon.

DePauw dropped one spot in the overall standings from the fall update to 34th with 271.00 points after three teams competed in NCAA postseason play in the winter season. The women's basketball team earned 25.00 points after competing in the national tournament for the 13th year in a row, while the women's swimming & diving team earned 55.00 points in 19th place at the national meet and the men's squad collected 52.00 points after finishing 22nd in the nation.

Kenyon jumped 36 spots in the Div. III standings to 42nd (253.00) after finishing second in the nation this winter in both men's and women's swimming & diving, while Ohio Wesleyan checks in at 70th (165.00) after advancing to the sectional semifinal round in men's basketball and having two student-athletes earn All-American accolades at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Senior Ahmed Abdel Halim (Toledo, OH/Ottawa Hills) paced the men's squad by finishing sixth in the triple jump, while junior Sarah Fowler (Mount Vernon, OH/Fredericktown) led the women by finishing eighth in the 5,000-meter run.

Wooster collected its first points of the 2015-16 academic year duing the winter season and currently sits in 114th with 109.00 points. The men's basketball team led the charge by earning 75.00 points after advancing to the sectional final round of the NCAA Tournament, while senior Hilary Coady (Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia/Choate Rosemary Hall, CT) collected 36.00 points on behalf of the women's indoor track & field team after finishing third in the nation in the pentathlon.

Despite not scoring points in the winter season, Allegheny and Wittenberg sit at 127th (91.00) and 128th (90.00), respectively, while Oberlin appears on the list for the first time this season in 198th-place with 43.5 points thanks to sophomore Monique Newton (Sacramento, CA/Rancho Cordova) finishing second in the women's shot put at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Williams has the lead in the final winter standings of the Division III Learfield Directors' Cup with 743.25 points, while Washington (MO) is close behind in second with 707.00 points.